Memories Door
by Snow Tigra
Summary: AU. Yuusuke and Kurama have been together forever. But one night, there is a motorcycle accident and Yuusuke is forced to deal with Kurama not knowing who he is, and a mysterious demon who appears with other plans. (Fushion based on the Ah My Goddess m
1. Opening

Title: Memory's Door  
  
Author: Snow Tigra  
  
Series: Yu Yu Hakusho  
  
Author's Note: AU, lemons, Yuusuke and Kurama pairing, possibly Hiei *looks at her muses suspiciously* And yeah, this AU is a little strange. It's basically the same as the show, difference is no Spirit Detectives. If that gets confusing just keep reading and I promise it'll be explained.  
  
Prologue  
  
Kurama fidgeted in his chair, watching the clock behind the teacher's head. His pen between his fingers, he resisted the urge to tap it against his notebook to the pace which he wanted the second hand to go to. Or for that matter, the pace he wanted the minute hand to go to. It was moving too slow, and he was already itching to leave badly. He frowned.  
  
Kurama wasn't the type to want to leave class early. In fact, he was the one pegged most likely to stay in class late and even come in extra early, if it meant more school work. Kurama was the school honor student, the best in his class at everything. He was that one student, the one that exists at every school, who seems to be perfect in everyway and had everyone following at his heels, hoping that some of that talent might accidently rub off onto them if they brushed past him. Suuichi Minamino never looked at the clock like the other students, he always had his complete attention on the teacher up front, taking perfect and consis notes.   
  
Well, almost always.  
  
I must be picking up bad habits from him, Suuichi thought with a small smile. He relaxed a bit and set down his pencil, his eyes roaming the blackboard behind the teacher. But he wasn't looking at the markings there, instead he was gazing beyond the blackboard, into his own mind. And perhaps that's what did the trick, because the next moment the bell rang for class to be over. Kurama couldn't help but smile as he stood up and packed up his books, then headed out of the classroom and across the school yard.  
  
He'd been anxious all day, never able to keep his mind on the subject at hand. It wasn't too bad, he supposed, but then he just wasn't used to being so destracted. He was used to doing perfect and having a mind only for school work and his own grades. He'd been like that from his first day at kindergarden. But then, something had just recently changed all of that.   
  
Not something... someone.  
  
Someone with slick black hair that was greased back across his head and stuck up just a bit on each side, those ends refusing to listen no matter how much was done to them. Someone with deep brown eyes and a cocky smile that hinted at secrets that only he knew, and secrets he would never ever tell. Someone who never seemed to attend his classes, who was the complete oppisite of Kuramain every way shape and form. If oppisites attracted then this had to be the most perfect match in the world. Because Yuusuke Urameshi was the last person that Kurama ever thought he would fall in love with. Who in their right mind would fall for such a rude, uncivilized, hot and sexy michevious little rat like that?   
  
Apaprently I would, he reflected with a soft smile as he came up upon the shop building and circled round back. And, as usual, he found Yuusuke standing there waiting for him, leaning against his shiny black motorcycle. Kurama swore that the only reason Yuusuke even came to school anymore was to drive him there and home on that motorcycle he loved so much. But then Kurama never complained, there was just something about that bad boy attitude...  
  
"Someone was impacient," Yuusuke said with a smirk as he tossed a green bike helmet to Kurama, one that perfectly matched his eyes.  
  
"Why do you think that?" Kurama asked, catching the helmet and walking around the bike to attach his bag to the back.  
  
"Because someone didn't stay after class, in fact, I'm betting a certain someone nearly ran here."  
  
Kurama glanced back and wasn't surprised to see that cocky grin trained on him. He returned his own small smirk. "I wasn't aware you were timing me."  
  
Yuusuke laughed at that and fastened on his own helmet, swinging his leg over the bike and kicked the gas. Kurama climbed on behind him and easily wrapped his arms around Yuusuke's waist, then rested his head against his back as they took off.  
  
Kurama rested against Yuusuke's back as they rode down the street, taking the long way home. They always took the long way home, and Kurama never complained. He had to admit to himself that he was beginning to enjoy the ride home from school more then school itself. Nothing seemed better then riding behind Yuusuke at the end of a long day of sitting in class listening to lectures, and hearing the roar of the engine over everything else. At times like these he didn't care about anything, he just let himself forget everything and enjoy the nothingness and the warm body he was pressed up against.  
  
"It's friday," Yuusuke yelled over the roaring of the engine. Kurama could just barely make out his voice but he caught the words and nodded, giving Yuusuke a small squeeze in response. Yuusuke responded by hitting the gas more and turning, almost sharply, with the motorcycle, away from their usual route.  
  
It was friday, the best day of the week. Ever since they'd met five years ago out on the school lawn, they'd start riding home together on Yuusuke's motorcycle. That first night had been a friday and Kurama had insisted on being taken home. Yuusuke, however, had had other plans, and had driven off to take Kurama up to a hill where there was a perfect view of the sunset so they could both talk. It hadn't been intended, but that night they'd gotten together as a couple, soon becoming accustomed to each other's presence. And ever since then, even though they now lived together as roommates, visiting the same hill had become a weekly practise.  
  
The motorcycle rode up the hill, twisting up among the trees until they neared their destination.  
  
As they drove closer though, Kurama began to hear a strange buzzing in his ears. Blinking he sat up a bit in the seat and glanced around them as it became louder. He was about to open his mouth and ask Yuusuke to stop, when there was a flash of light.  
  
Suddenly Kurama wasn't sitting on the back of the motorcycle anymore. He was floating... or possibly falling.  
  
Then the world shattered into a painful red and silver. 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One  
  
Yuusuke loved these days. They were the best days of the week. The best days came on Fridays, when Kurama was just off school and he himself could finally escape the monotony of sitting and listening to teachers drone on and on about things he really didn't care about. Bells rang, signaling freedom for the entire school, and all he could think about was the bike he had sitting in the parking lot. His bike, and a certain red head's arms wrapped around his waist as they rode off, far from the school.  
  
He took Kurama home every day after school, it'd become a ritual of sorts. But Fridays were special, because on Fridays Kurama wasn't in a rush to get home to see his mother, or to work on more homework. On Fridays the red headed honor student was free, and both of them rode off past the limits of town, up a winding road, to a nice little hill top retreat. It was nothing fancy, just an area that overlooked the city below. Yuusuke had escaped there all the time as a kid, but somehow the place became even more wonderful when he could bring Kurama there.  
  
Yuusuke had no illusions. He knew exactly how he felt about Kurama, who was his exact opposite in every way possible. He, himself, wasn't really a good student. He kept his grades up enough to keep from being held back a grade, but never really more then that. If he could get out of attending class, he did, much to the principal's annoyance, and he certainly didn't associate with the other students at school. In fact, he was much more likely to start a fight, then he was to say 'good morning' to any of them. Yuusuke just wasn't a people person. He never really had been. Meeting Kurama hadn't really changed that. Instead it had simply given him one person he knew he cared about. The rest of the world could still go to hell, just as long as he could keep Kurama.  
  
The road twisted and turned, and Yuusuke took a strange kind of familiar comfort in the fact that he could drive this road blindfolded if he ever needed to. He knew the tilt as they were moving up, he knew the sound of the trees flying by, and he knew the speed of the wind, as it grew just that much stronger the higher they got. But more then that, he knew the feel of Kurama's arms around his waist, and the weight of his helmet resting against his back. That's what he really loved, that feeling of being so close, of simply just being with him.  
  
He lived for Fridays. Really, he did.  
  
The road up to the hilltop was a winding road, twisting and turning between rocks and trees, made up mostly of blind turns and thin lanes, with a railing that overlooked a slight drop-off to the road you were just on a moment ago. The actual size of the landscape was trapped somewhere between a hill and a small mountain, with a cliff on one side that was usually found by students on weekend nights as a make-out spot. Yuusuke and Kurama were two of the only students who showed up there before the sunset, so they usually had the place to themselves.  
  
Yuusuke felt Kurama's hold around his waist tighten just a bit as he made another turn, the road disappearing for a moment in front of him as he sped around the sharp corner. And then the strangest thing happened.  
  
Suddenly he couldn't feel Kurama's arms.  
  
Yuusuke's mind was confused for a moment, then panic hit him hard like a brick. He pulled his bike to a stop so fast he left rubber marks on the pavement and he nearly dropped the thing on it's side as he whirled around and stumbled off the bike, racing down the road to retrace his steps.  
  
He hadn't felt Kurama let go, he hadn't heard him fall off. Nothing. Nothing at all. It was just one moment he was there holding on, and the next Yuusuke was alone, but himself. Kurama would have yelled if he'd fallen off, right? Right?!  
  
Damnit where was he!?  
  
Yuusuke raced up the road, looking around frantically for his friend, and finally found him… oddly two turns back from where he'd stopped feeling him sitting behind him. Yuusuke found the red-haired teen lying on the road side, his eyes closed and not moving.   
  
It didn't occur to him to really think about the fact that there wasn't a single scratch on Kurama. And it didn't occur to him that Kurama was missing his helmet. All he cared about was the fact that his best friend was lying on the side of the road not moving.   
  
A moment later, after sitting there staring at him, trying to figure what to do, Yuusuke remembered that Kurama had a cell phone in his pocket. Reaching over carefully he pulled out the phone and quickly called 911.  
  
The hospital, to him, was a large building. Too large. The thick concrete walls reached up to the sky, high above the trees, and sported windows that reflected the setting sunlight back to blind passerby's. It stood out among all the other large buildings which ningen seemed to love to crowd their world with. It wasn't so much that he hated buildings, even though the distinct difference between this and the world he was born in really rubbed him the wrong way more often then not, it was more that this building in particular seemed to be standing in spite of him.  
  
He'd walked around it for a good couple of hours and finding a crack or a hole to slip inside was nearly impossible. Nearly every other building that he'd ever had the need or urge to get into always had some form of open door or window where he could slip in unnoticed. But not this place. Not a single open window. Damn ningens and their screens.  
  
It looked like his only choice was the front door.  
  
Grumbling and already in a bad mood he shoved his hands into his pockets and made his way toward the front door, his eyes flickering around to all those who he passed as he slipped by.  
  
It wasn't that he stood out, not really, it was simply more that he didn't like being in large groups. Had he been human he would have certainly been an out cast around his peers thanks to his height and odd hair style and deep red eyes. The fact that he was born non-human only added to his discomfort. He wasn't afraid of the humans, he was just hyper aware that he didn't fit in and didn't belong in this world.   
  
Short spikey black hair covered his head, with a strange white set of highlights that crossed in a jagged line just above his forehead. His face, though small, was set out with eyes that were slightly larger and rounded then was normal, and a deep crimson color that often was likened to blood. His other, very non-human aspect, was thankfully covered by a simple white headband which crossed his forehead. The small white bulge was barely even noticeable, save if someone touched his forehead. And he certainly didn't let anyone get that close. The strange black dragon shaped mark on his one arm could be passed off as a tattoo, but at the moment he was wearing long sleeves so it didn't really matter.  
  
In spite of the fact that he did stand out the crowd he looked mostly human, and perhaps that was the reason no one really stopped him when he stepped through the front door of the building. In fact, no one got close to him as he crossed the lobby and made his way down the hallway. Anyone who came close got an immediate death glare, and then they seemed to decide that the strange, short, gothy looking boy wasn't their problem, and left him alone. The boy, himself, simply walked down the hallway, lightly sniffing the air.  
  
He had no idea which room he was in. But nothing in the ningen, not even their disgusting and overly scented perfumes and cleaning concoctions could cover up that smell. He could smell the fox miles away, and this hospital was no exception.  
  
Down the hall, a couple of doors passes through and he came to another hallway that seemed to blend in with everything he'd passed through. The only difference was that the smell stopped here. And sitting, not two feet away, was a boy on a bench, his head in his hands as he fidgeted and waited impatiently.  
  
He knew Yuusuke Urameshi well enough. This one was the unfortunate human boy who'd happened to stumble in on a fight he'd been having with the fox over some matter or another. And it had been the fox who'd saved the human, in spite of his disagreement. The demon boy didn't like humans knowing the truth about his kind, but he liked less the idea of losing the fox to the human, so he dealt with it.  
  
To him, Yuusuke was like any other human. He was normal enough with his short cut hair that he usually kept greased back, and the strange green outfit he wore nearly every day. But, to the demon's surprise, he'd taken it pretty well when he'd found out that his best friend wasn't exactly human, but rather a demon hiding in a human's body. In fact, he'd seemed fascinated by the idea. For better or for worse the human was now on their side… and he still had no idea if that was good or bad.  
  
The demon walked over and lightly kicked at his foot to get his attention.  
  
Yuusuke looked up in surprise. "Hiei? How'd you get here?"  
  
The demon, Hiei, simply tapped his nose and looked to the door beside Yuusuke. "He's in there? With who else?"  
  
"The doctors. They've been in there talking to him since a nurse came out and reported he'd woken up."  
  
Hiei leaned closer to the door, trying to listen in to the conversation inside, but even his ears couldn't make out the words through the thick walls. Damn ningens and their need to wall and close off spaces. "What happened?"  
  
Yuusuke frowned and leaned back in the chair. "I don't know. One moment he was on the back of my bike and then he wasn't. And don't even say he fell off, because I'm sick of that. He did not fall off!"  
  
"Kurama wouldn't fall off." Hiei continued to frown at the door, mentally willing it to open so he could go in. He considered just walking into the room, but there were others there and humans tended to be real touchy about people not doing things like knocking. Hiei hated to knock.  
  
Luckily he didn't need to. In a few moments the door opened and a group of doctors dressed in perfectly bleached whites stepped out. Hiei stepped back and glared at them, simply because they kept blocking the door as they talked amongst themselves. Soon one of them turned to him and Yuusuke, Yuusuke quickly stood up.  
  
"You can go in and see him now, he's doing fine. He doesn't seem to have suffered any trauma from the fall, but we'd like to keep him here for a couple more days."  
  
"Huh? Why? If he's doing fine he doesn't need to stay, right?" Hiei watched Yuusuke protest, then looked back to the doctor. He agreed with Yuusuke, there was no reason for Kurama to stay in this place, he couldn't smell blood.  
  
The doctor frowned a bit. "In spite of the fact that we couldn't find any trauma caused to his head, there is the fact that he was found without a helmet from the bike-"  
  
"He did not fall off!" Yuusuke snapped out, obviously very sick of repeating that fact.  
  
"Fall off or not, Mr. Urameshi, he is suffering from a minor case of amnesia. We would like him to stay for the next few days to determine the exact cause."  
  
Hiei frowned as the room around him fell silent. He noted the shocked look on Yuusuke's face and the saddened look on the doctor's. He himself probably had a look of surprise too, how does one lose their memory? Especially when that memory is attached to a very old fox spirit? He was well aware of how fragile and picky human bodies were, but the memories and the mind, those were stored with the demon possessing the body, weren't they? Did that mean Kurama was faking it? Him losing him memory didn't make any sense.  
  
Frowning even more, Hiei decided he wasn't that patient anymore. Using his lack of height to his advantage he ducked around the doctor and into the hospital room, leaving those two to discuss whatever they wanted. He wasn't interested anymore and he wasn't going to wait any longer.  
  
Hiei stepped into the hospital room and made a small face. He'd thought the hallway outside was white, but the room itself was also white. Not just the walls, but every piece of furniture and little detail in the room was painted the same white color. The only little bits of color were the small buttons on the machines next to Kurama's bed and those were barely even noticeable. Compared to the walls and the entire room, Kurama's long red hair stood out almost like a physical blow. Hiei's eyes flickered around the room out of habit to know his surroundings, then he turned and focused on the boy laying in the bed.  
  
Kurama was actually sitting up a bit, a confused look across his face. He met Hiei's eyes for a moment and Hiei noted that his eyes were a slightly duller color then usual. Kurama, in spite of being in a human body, still stood out from the humans well enough on his own. Whether it was a product of his mother's own uniqueness or his just hidden demon heritage, he managed to stand out among the humans in minor ways. His hair was a bright fiery red which, like most demons, refused to be tamed by any brush or concoction that the humans could come up with. If it wanted to lay smooth except for one area around his neck where the strands curled upward, then it did just that, no matter how he tried to change it. His eyes were the other noticeable factor, shining with an emerald green that carried far more hues and tones then any human eyes ever could. It wasn't the muddled almost mold color that most humans held, but rather a vibrant green which refused to be ignored.  
  
Or at least it had been.  
  
Now, Hiei noticed, Kurama's eyes resembled exactly that human color. That wasn't right. From the way Kurama was looking it was almost like he was completely human, but that couldn't be right at all… right?  
  
Hiei reached up to pull away his headband, aiming to confirm his belief. However, Yuusuke burst into the room and immediately grabbed his hand. "Don't you dare."  
  
Hiei shot a glare at the human boy. "Give me one good reason why not? There's something I need to check."  
  
"Hiei, think, he's got amnesia," Yuusuke lowered his voice. "I think seeing a ten year old kid with a glowing purple eye in the middle of his forehead would probably send him running out of the room. Hold off, K?"  
  
Hiei grumbled and let go of his headband. He hated it when that damn human was right.  
  
As soon as Yuusuke was sure Hiei wasn't going to do anything else 'stupid', he turned back to Kurama. Both of them regarded the red head who was watching both of them curiously. Silence filled the room as none of them really knew what to say. Kurama was finally the one who broke the silence.  
  
"Yuusuke, right? One of you is Yuusuke? That's who they said I was riding the bike with."  
  
Yuusuke nodded and stepped forward as Hiei watched both of them carefully. He itched to pull off his headband and use his jagan, but he didn't. If the fox was now human by some impossible chance, then Yuusuke was right. But Hiei would die before he would admit that in so many words.  
  
"I'm Yuusuke. How are you feeling?"  
  
"All right, I suppose. Mostly just… hazy." The red head flashed a small smile. "I remember my name and my mother and living with her. But… nothing else. They said I fell off a bike."  
  
Yuusuke sighed and took a seat in the chair next to the bed. "Something like that, we don't know completely."  
  
Kurama nodded, seeming to ponder over that for a moment. Hiei had to admit he still acted like a demon. Any human would probably have dropped into hysterics, but Kurama was acting the same as ever. He was always calm and collected, thinking through everything. So maybe this wasn't so serious…  
  
"And you are?"  
  
Hiei blinked and met Kurama's eyes. "Hiei."  
  
Kurama's eyebrows furrowed in deeper thought and soon he shook his head. "Sorry, I don't remember that name."  
  
"You and him are old friends, since before you met me. It's a bit complicated to explain right now." Yuusuke looked ready to stumble over his words a bit more, but Kurama stopped him, which Hiei was thankful for. After all, there was probably was no real un-shocking way to tell someone that he was a demon from the demon world and was probably a good thousand years old. And that was just Kurama's simple history. Hiei's history… well, there was no simple version.  
  
"The doctor said I should be able to go home soon." Kurama gave a helpless almost embarrassed look. "I… where am I staying right now? They said my records say my mother lives in another state."  
  
"You're actually my roommate and um…" Yuusuke fidgeted, trying to piece some words together. Hiei just rolled his eyes, what was the big deal? He was sick of waiting.  
  
"You two are a couple." He said, cutting off Yuusuke's helpless search for words. The room fell into another spell of dead silence as Kurama's eyes widened a bit. Hiei watched him look from Hiei, to Yuusuke, to Hiei again. Then Kurama did one of the strangest things Hiei had ever seen.  
  
Kurama looked away from both of them and blushed.  
  
"We… we're a couple?" He said softly.  
  
"Among… other things." Yuusuke seemed to fidget more, still looking helpless. Hiei wanted to scream. What the hell was wrong with Kurama and why couldn't he use his jagan to find out? What was the point of all this questioning and silence? His eyes narrowed and he stepped toward the bed, just watching both of them. Unfortunately both seemed too occupied with the current discovery to pay any attention to the pissy looking fire demon at the end of the bed.  
  
"It's not that I have… anything against it but… well umm…"  
  
Yuusuke's expression actually fell, but he did a pretty good job of covering it quickly. Or rather he tried to. Hiei was reasonably sure that Kurama caught it as well. "I understand. This is me being good, I promise not to do anything… like that until you're feeling better."  
  
Hiei had had enough. With this subject brought up he wasn't going to get any answers and more likely then not Kurama and Yuusuke were going to be talking about useless annoying stuff until they both fell asleep and Yuusuke had to leave. That's how it always worked. Turning away from them and jamming his hands in his pockets he walked out of the room. He didn't even care if they made any protest. He'd try and learn more tonight.   
  
He hated wasting time.   
  



	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Author's Note: There has been some confusion, I apologize. This story is an AU. Basically it is Yu Yu Hakusho, the difference is that Yuusuke isn't a spirit detective. That part of the story line never happened. But many other things remain the same.

Kurama stepped out of the car and glanced around him. He tried his best not to stare, but really it was quite hard. It wasn't that there was anything special about the building in particular, but rather that he was supposed to accept this place as his home, especially when he had no memory of it.  
  
The building in front of him was simple enough. It had actually been the rental offices for the apartments across the street, until the owner had decided he'd rather keep his office in his own apartment. As a result he turned the offices into a soft of loft for rental, and apparently it was where he and Yuusuke now lived, with occasional visits by that short boy Hiei.   
  
One floor and one room that was quite big, was divided out into sections by book cases and a desk with a computer. A bed sat over the corner, tucked in next to the closet. Various game systems and games lay scattered around the TV, while food was arranged mostly in order around the makeshift kitchen, which consisted of a mini fridge, a couple hot plates and a coffee machine around an area of cupboards. Actually, for a college home, it looked relatively neat and well kept, not to mention that even if Kurama didn't remember anything in the room it did feel comfortable.  
  
Walking past Yuusuke he wandered over to the non-computer desk which was pushed up against the far wall. Various school books were piled neatly with a small box of highlighters and post it notes, a notebook laying open with notes. Kurama picked up a pen and slowly wrote his name at the bottom of the page. After a moment of comparing the handwriting he came to the conclusion that this was his school work area, after all it looked like his handwriting and the neatness just seemed to suit him.  
  
"It's a bit late and I know you've been in bed most of the day after school here, but well… the bed is yours. I'll take the couch or something until, well… you know."  
  
"Until I feel comfortable." Kurama supplied for him. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he and this boy were a couple. It wasn't that he had a problem with it, or at least he didn't think he did, but having someone tell you that you were their lover and not even remembering their face, much less their name, was a bit of a shock. He hated being so hesitant, because he was sure it was hurting Yuusuke, but he didn't really know how else to act. Jumping blindly wasn't something he wanted to do, because he knew there was the potential to hurt people more. Turning back to Yuusuke he gave him a small apologetic smile. "I'm sorry Yuusuke, I don't mean to doubt what you're saying, but it's going to take some time."  
  
"Hey, no problem." Yuusuke merely shrugged and dropped down into the couch across from the TV and all the game systems. "Believe me, I understand. Take your time, really. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable."  
  
Kurama nodded and decided to leave it at that. He had a feeling that smile on Yuusuke's face was a carefully constructed mask to hide his true feelings. But better to leave well enough alone, because he really had no idea how to make Yuusuke feel better if he revealed he knew something was still wrong. Nodding to himself he crossed the room over to the closet. He stood at the door for a moment, looking a bit helpless. In front of him was only one door and it was open, but he really had no way of knowing which set of clothes…  
  
"On the left."  
  
Kurama blinked and glanced back at Yuusuke, then he nodded and looked at the clothes on the left. Shrugging he pulled out a set that looked like pajamas and stepped back by the bed so he was out of Yuusuke's sight, then changed clothes.  
  
He couldn't quite grasp everything about any of this, and he had to admit that his head was starting to hurt. He didn't have the memories to look for. He couldn't find them anywhere in his head, it was just like everything was erased. How exactly did one get back the notes from a previous day when the white board had already been washed off? Well… there was one way…  
  
Kurama slowly stepped back out in the main part of the room, now wearing a pair of dark green pajamas. He found Yuusuke still sitting on the couch, but now he was playing one of the games, his eyes mostly focused on the screen as his character ran around apparently shooting zombies or something like that. Kurama stood there for a moment watching him, then slowly moved over to the couch and sat on the opposite end. "Yuusuke…"  
  
"Hm? Something wrong?" Yuusuke pressed the pause button and glanced over at him.  
  
"Um how, well… how did we meet?" He asked softly, not looking up. He couldn't make himself meet Yuusuke's eyes as he asked. Even though it wasn't his fault that he couldn't remember, he actually felt like he was betraying Yuusuke by having to ask about such a personal memory.  
  
Yuusuke's response was a nervous chuckle and he muttered a soft answer that Kurama couldn't make out. After a moment of silence he repeated it slightly louder. "I umm, actually beat you up."  
  
Kurama blinked in surprise and looked up at him. "You… what?"  
  
"It's not like it sounds, really. Just, well, my mom was a deadbeat, always drunk and stuff and you know, god forbid she should actually buy anything besides beer that you could make a meal out of. So I couldn't bring meals from home… so I spent most of my first year stealing them from other kids. Well, I tried to steal your lunch, and well… you kicked my ass."  
  
Kurama couldn't help but crack a smile at that. "I… beat you up? That doesn't really sound like a way to start a relationship."  
  
"Well, you kicked my ass and left me to nurse a nice black eye. But then you turned around and offered to share your lunch with me. You actually threw me for a nice little loop there." Yuusuke leaned back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling. "And well, you started insisting that I share your lunches rather then beating up other kids for theirs. Eventually I took the hint. And I guess it got turned around… because you got teased for hanging out with a punk like me. So I went and kicked their asses for you." Yuusuke smirked at the memory as Kurama watched him.  
  
It was strange. He didn't remember this boy sitting next to him at all, but the way he spoke about their supposed memories, it sounded sincere. Kurama wanted to believe him so much, but he also felt he needed something concrete to support the memories, and that made him feel bad. He still felt that by not remembering he was betraying Yuusuke in some way. His smile wilted and he looked down in his lap. "Well… I suppose I should thank you."  
  
Yuusuke glanced over at him, then reached over and lightly placed his hands on top of Kurama's in his lap. Kurama sat there, a bit rigid, just looking at his hand, not sure what to do.  
  
"You don't need to thank me. And you don't need to be nervous, honest Kurama. Just relax. I promise we'll find a way to fix this. We'll find out what happened and we'll fix it."  
  
Kurama nodded, still not looking up at Yuusuke. "I… I'm going to get some sleep."  
  
Yuusuke gave a small nod and pulled his hand back. "That might be a good idea. I'll see you in the morning."  
  
He found himself sitting there for a few more moments of silence, just wondering if he was really expected to do anything else. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd used to kiss Yuusuke good night, or any other habit that a couple who was living together might do. But nothing jumped out in his mind, and he couldn't bear to look up at Yuusuke and possibly see an expectant look on his face. Instead Kurama just forced himself to stand and to head over to the bed area of the room, murmuring a 'good night' before shutting off the lights and climbing into the bed.  
  
Kurama sighed softly and closed his eyes , rolling over to face the wall. He couldn't help it, but he felt empty, and cold in spite of the blankets. He snuggled a bit closer under the blankets and to the wall, his hand resting against the cold plaster. If nothing else it gave him a feeling of something sturdy while he slept, something concrete that he could hold onto. Even if his memory was gone and he didn't know if what other's said was real he knew the wall was. It was a silly thing, when you thought about it really.  
  
But at a time like this, people apparently got comfort from the smallest of things.  
  
The world around him was different. It wasn't what he was used to, not one bit. Granted, it looked to be the same. It actually looked to be the same world, with plants and trees, sky and ground. But the whole feeling of the place, perhaps even the scents in the air, spoke of a difference that ran much deeper then looks. Nothing stood out to him, everything seemed normal and yet not.   
  
He stood quietly, just looking around him, willing himself to see where he was. Was it familiar? Was it a new place? Was it real? His mind was stuck in an odd state, one that refused to really acknowledge anything around him beyond the fact that it was there. It wasn't that he couldn't remember, it was more like that area of his mind had shut down. He could see there were trees, and there were, but there was nothing beyond that. Nothing was familiar and yet nothing was unfamiliar. It was just there.  
  
He turned his head, looking around him. There had to be something he could grasp onto, some thread of thought that could show him where he was or give him some recognition. But his mind felt hazy, and if such a thing lay around him, he couldn't find it.  
  
A whisper in the air, and hands rested on his shoulders. He stopped moving and just stood there, not saying a thing at all as the hands rested on his shoulders then, slowly, pulled him into a light embrace from behind.  
  
It was warm. Warmth flowed from the body behind him, and he found himself closing his eyes, just enjoying the feeling. It didn't even occur to him to wonder who it was holding him, but rather he just liked the feeling. Closing his eyes and leaning back he let himself be taken in by the warmth… and comfort.  
  
The arms around him felt familiar. Compared to the trees ad his other surroundings, there was something about these arms that reminded him. He wasn't sure what they reminded him of, but he knew it was something just past where his mind was willing to go at the moment.   
  
The head behind him tilted down and a soft voice whispered into his ear. He could hear the words and recognize that they were words, but much like the trees, he couldn't quite grasp what words they were or what they meant. It was as if there was a piece missing in his brain, making him unable to grasp the connection. But the words weren't threatening, they were warm and comforting, much like the arms around him.  
  
As the words were spoken he noticed a soft white glow growing over his skin. It started, almost like a mist, seeping out of his skin and just clinging to him without any feeling. Then, as more words were spoken, it began to change color, shifting to a more shining hue, almost a silver, if air could really be silver. And the color grew over him, covering his body like a living blanket as it warped and covered his entire body.   
  
It must have flowed over his eyes as well, because the world around him became silver tinted, everything around him shining and sparkling in a strange light. Then the feeling of the arms disappeared. And the world around him faded away, melting into a dream.  
  
Kurama sat up in bed and looked down at his arms. He remembered the dream with a solid clarity, swearing it had actually been real. He even could almost feel the slight tingling on his skin from someone touching him. But there was no one there.   
  
There was, however, a small white-ish light still clinging to his skin. Kurama moved his hand through the air and small white wisps flitted away, fading into the air as it slowly came off his skin. In testing he brushed at his arm, setting more of the strange white mist floating away into the air. Somehow the light was clinging to him, like the after effect of… something. But at the same time it wasn't something he could feel, or really touch. All he could do was watch it slowly fade away.  
  
Kurama blinked in confusion and turned in the bed, looking for some hint as to what was going on. The room around him was dark and there was nothing, nothing save for a small purple light coming from outside the window. Kurama crawled closer to the window to see what it was. It was too bright and colored to be a street light.  
  
As he moved closer the color disappeared, fading away. Instead, sitting in the tree, was the same short boy who'd been in the hospital room with Yuusuke earlier, his hand adjusting the white bandana he wore around his forehead. Kurama smiled just slightly and opened the window, leaning out to look up at him.  
  
"What are you doing out here this late?"  
  
Hiei, that was his name Kurama remembered, just shrugged. "I like climbing trees at night."  
  
"Do you always climb the one by my window?"   
  
Hiei nodded.  
  
Kurama nodded himself and thought a bit. Hiei seemed to also be a good friend, or at least that's how it seemed considering his reactions to Kurama. In the hospital he'd noticed that the shorter boy had been distant and quick to act and anger. Now, at night alone, he was actually in a fairly good mood. The scowl that had seemed engraved on his face wasn't there. Either he was in a better mood from the night or he was just more agreeable around one or two people. Kurama, actually had a feeling it was a mix of both.  
  
"Can I ask you a question?"  
  
Hiei gave a single nod, watching him.  
  
Kurama glanced down, fidgeting a bit. He hated asking things he should already know. After a moment he glanced back at Hiei to see the boy fidgeting as well. Kurama couldn't help but wince just a bit.  
  
"We're… old friends." He finally said. "It's… more complicated then that. But that's close enough."  
  
Kurama nodded. "Sorry I needed to ask. I'm still working on this memory thing." He smiled. "But at least it wasn't like Yuusuke, he says I beat him up when I met him."  
  
The side of Hiei's mouth curved up just a bit. "He didn't tell me that part. I'll have to remember that."  
  
"I didn't just get him in trouble, did I?"  
  
Hiei's small smirk tilted, and it couldn't have just been Kurama's imagination that it turned a bit more mischievous. "No, not at all." But for some reason, Kurama didn't quite believe him.  
  
"You know… you don't have to stay out there. I'm sure you can come in."  
  
Hiei shook his head and laid back on the branch. "I like it out here. I won't bother you. You should get back to sleep."  
  
Kurama opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it and nodded, agreeing. He moved back from the window but stopped and glanced back out at Hiei. "There was a strange purple light outside the window. Did a… truck drive by?"  
  
"The street light behind the tree has been flickering. That's probably what you saw."  
  
Kurama nodded and laid back down in bed, rolling over onto his side and closing his eyes to sleep. He drifted off relatively quickly, even in spite of the fact that a large part of him didn't believe that explanation. 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Author's note: For those who don't know:  
  
Ningenkai – human world  
  
Youkai – demons  
  
Makai – demon world  
  
Reikai – spirit world (though not mentioned yet)  
  
Yuusuke woke up the next morning, to find himself lying on the floor, the blanket he'd used twisted sharply around a good portion of his body. Giving a complaint that was halfway between a yawn and a groan he rolled around a bit, trying to get loose. When he finally managed, he wiggled out of the blanket the rest of the way and just settled to sitting on top of it on the floor, giving another big yawn.  
  
"You humans sleep too much."  
  
"Good morning to you too, cheery," Yuusuke remarked sarcastically. "How long have you been standing there waiting for me to wake up?" Yuusuke looked up and regarded the shorter, black haired boy with a dry look. "Too long, right?"  
  
Hiei simply nodded from where he was leaning against the wall next to the tv.  
  
"Fine, fine, ruin my morning with your bad attitude. What do you want?" Yuusuke stood up and ran a hand through his hair, yawning again as he made his way toward the kitchen. He didn't have to check to see if Kurama was asleep. That was the nice thing about a studio apartment, you knew where people were. Because if he couldn't see Kurama, he knew he was still in bed, the only part of the room that was slightly blocked off. So he wandered quietly to the kitchen and started numbly searching for some form of breakfast food that would taste good with little work.  
  
"He showed up last night."   
  
Yuusuke blinked sleepily and looked over his shoulder. "Who? I'm human, Hiei, remember? Not psychic. Names would be nice."  
  
"The fox."  
  
Yuusuke stopped in mid-movement and turned back to look at him. "The fox? When?"  
  
"Last night, while he was sleeping."  
  
"Wait wait wait. Hiei, you're telling me that last night while Kurama was sleeping he changed forms? How could he do that? He doesn't even remember that part of himself."  
  
"He did it. Not fully, but he started to. He woke up a moment later, so he didn't see it."  
  
Yuusuke gave a sigh of relief. "Thank god I don't have to deal with that heart attack yet. I still don't know how I'm going to explain that part to him. Losing your memory is one thing, that's enough to explain about normal life. But how the hell am I supposed to explain to him that he's actually a demon fox who decided to grow up inside of a human body to escape some crazed demon hunter? I am not looking forward to that."  
  
"You will have to explain it to him. Before he changes."  
  
"And you'll have to explain the fact that your forehead bulges out and that you have a moving tattoo on your arm," Yuusuke countered, earning him a glare. "You used the eye-thingie last night, right? What did you find out?"  
  
Hiei shrugged a bit and pulled himself up on what passed for their kitchen table, unconsciously swinging his feet a bit. "He's still in there, but you know that from him almost changing."  
  
Yuusuke nodded. "So what's up then? Is it some demon world thing that decided to say 'hey, you aren't allowed to remember'?"  
  
"No. He's perfectly normal. The fox seems to be sleeping, but that doesn't make sense since he almost changed last night."  
  
"Unless if that's the reason why he couldn't completely change."  
  
Hiei nodded. "There is that. But that doesn't explain the memory loss. Why would he lose his memory as a human if it were just the fox falling asleep?"  
  
Yuusuke frowned in thought for a moment, trying to process those thoughts. He knew what Kurama was, well, mostly. And he knew what Hiei was, mostly. But beyond that, like what to do with demons, that was completely past him. Even if he had listened in school, they didn't ever explain things like that. Hell, most humans still insisted demons didn't exist or they were all attached to some religion or another. He only had two sources for information, and one was currently out of it.   
  
Getting information from Hiei was like pulling teeth.  
  
Yuusuke threw his arms up in the air and dropped back into a chair. "I give up, you are all too complicated. Why can't it be something simple like having too many limbs and breathing fire like 'real' demons are supposed to have. But noooooo, you have to have memory problems and different forms. I quit."  
  
"Our other option is to ask her," Hiei responded dryly, apparently not bothered by Yuusuke's frequent outbursts.  
  
That got a reaction. Yuusuke nearly fell out of the chair in his rush to stand up and ended up slamming his side into the table. He winced and held his waist. "No. No No no and double no. I will not deal with her again!"  
  
"Not even for your Kurama?" Now Hiei's voice held a tone of teasing.   
  
"You get some sort of pleasure out of getting me to talk to her, don't you? I am not speaking to that psychotic peppy lunatic again! Never."  
  
Hiei jumped down from the table and headed for the door. "Then I'll have to ask her to make a house call."  
  
"The hell you will!"  
  
"If you want to get Kurama fixed, then this is the way we do it. Kurama is not human. Your human doctors are not going to be able to fix this."  
  
Yuusuke sighed and sat back down. "Do we have to jump to that conclusion already?"  
  
Hiei simply nodded and continued to head for the door.  
  
"Fine, fine. I'll go give her a visit today, after he wakes up."  
  
Kurama woke up an hour or so later and after a peaceful and very civil seeming breakfast together, Yuusuke set about trying to figure out how he was going to explain the odd little visit they had to make to his best friend. Especially that since, after the accident, his friend seemed to think the world around him was a perfectly normal place with nothing supernatural in it at all.  
  
Yuusuke had learned otherwise the first time he'd met Kurama. It was just a little more then ironic to realize that it was his job to reintroduce Kurama to this side of the world that most people never saw. Humans weren't the only intelligent creatures on earth, they were just the most dominant. Many other creatures existed, most choosing to keep a low profile because humanity had shown time and time again that it didn't accept those who were different. And there were some, who were very, very different.  
  
One example being the girl who lived down the street. Her name was Botan.  
  
Yuusuke had had the unfortunately opportunity to meet Botan while wandering around with Kurama one day to school, and meeting up with Hiei. At first glance Botan seemed to be one of those girls who was simply a little more bubbly and bouncy then most teenage girls. She didn't quite make it into the cheerleading group, because she was just a bit too bouncy for even them. And she certainly didn't fit into any other real group either, just standing out and being too noticeable for anyone's comfort level.  
  
With normal height and blue hair that somehow managed to look natural on her, she certainly did stand out. Her light blue hair set off the pink tint in her eyes that didn't look unhealthy, but didn't look normal either. Contacts and hair dye only explained it to people who had actually convinced themselves they really didn't want to know the truth. But for a boy that dated a fox demon and hung out with a pissy fire demon, he knew they weren't contacts or hair dye.  
  
And true to Botan's nature, she attached herself quite happily to the first human who accepted her for what she was, and didn't run away screaming.  
  
Yuusuke hated her from that day on.  
  
It wasn't that Botan was a bad person, it was simply that she was too good. She was one of those people that was always happy, always smiling, always had an explanation and just always everything. It drove him insane, and he could certainly live without the constant tight hugs that nearly tackled him to the ground every time he was forced into visiting her.  
  
Yuusuke tried his best to explain this all to Kurama in the most unshocking way possible.  
  
"She's a bit weird."  
  
Kurama raised an eyebrow at him at that as their bus arrived at their stop. Because of the accident they'd both opted to ride the bus in spite of the fact that it was still in perfect condition. It was just more comfortable.  
  
"How weird?"  
  
"Well, she knows things. Weird things. Things people shouldn't usually know, and she's well… it's just really hard to explain unless you meet her."  
  
That earned a smile from Kurama and he stood up, stepping off the bus with Yuusuke. "Who'd you meet her through?"  
  
"Actually, you were the one who introduced me to her," he said, placing his hands in his pockets as they headed toward the tall apartment building.  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yeah. Don't worry, I'll pull her off and explain the situation, but she might be able to help a bit. Just umm… she'll probably try and jump forward and hug you as soon as she sees you. She usually does that."  
  
"Warning taken."   
  
The two of them climbed the stairs without saying much more, then finally arrived at Botan's door, which was cutely decorated with a 2-dimenional figurine of a witch flying on what looked more like an oar then a broom stick. Yuusuke rolled his eyes at the new decoration and knocked on the door, placing his finger over the peep-hole.  
  
Movement inside and a moment later the door opened to reveal Botan standing there in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, a baseball bat pulled up and ready to hit. Yuusuke automatically ducked, watching her with wary eyes and a big grin. Covering her peep hole and making her paranoid was the only way he'd discovered to get around being hugged right away. Of course, that usually meant dodging a baseball bat.  
  
"Yuusuke! How many times have I told you to not cover up my seeing hole!"  
  
"Every time." Yuusuke said with a grin, standing back up as if it were nothing. "Missed you too Botan."  
  
"Hmph." She turned and set the bat down by the door, then turned back to him and smiled as soon as she saw Kurama. And, like clockwork, the next second she was jumping forward and hugging him, nearly squealing in excitement. To his credit Kurama gave her a small hug back, but Yuusuke could tell how uncomfortable he was from the look on his face.  
  
Botan seemed to have noticed too, because a second later she pulled back and gave him a strange look. "Kurama? Something happened to you…"  
  
Yuusuke jumped in and grabbed her arm. "Hey Botan, do me a favor, come here for a second. This'll just take a moment." Then he pulled her into her own apartment.  
  
"Make yourself at home," she called out back to Kurama as she allowed herself to be pulled into the kitchen, the half door swinging back and forth on it's springs until it closed.  
  
As soon as they were out of earshot, she pulled her arm away from Yuusuke and gave him a scolding look. "What was that? Or rather who was that? That's not Kurama, he's human!"  
  
Yuusuke opened his mouth to answer, then stopped. "Wait, backup, what? He's human?"  
  
Botan nodded, crossing her arms. "There isn't a single speck of youkai power in him. He's more human then you are Yuusuke, what the heck happened to him?"  
  
Yuusuke swore and dropped down into one of the two chairs next to the kitchen table. Botan perched on a stool by the stove, waiting for an answer.  
  
"There was a bike accident. We were riding like normal and then suddenly he wasn't on the back of my bike, he was lying on the road. But he didn't fall off. It was like he disappeared for a moment. And when he woke up, he doesn't remember anything. And he thinks he's human."  
  
"Well, he is. Completely."  
  
"Is that even possible? How do you turn a demon into a human?"  
  
Botan moved across the room and pulled herself up on the table next to Yuusuke, abandoning the stool. "There's a couple of ways that it might be possible, but to be honest I've never seen or heard of it done successfully. One would be to completely drain him of all his youkai power. Which is really really hard, believe me. The only other way, would be to find a way of locking it all away, so well that not even he could touch it. But I don't have the faintest idea of how that would be done either."  
  
"Is it fixable? Tell me it's fixable Botan."  
  
She shrugged. "Not by me and not really by any of the youkai here in the Ningenkai. You're talking about a huge thing Yuusuke. You should know that all the demons here in this world are relatively weak, that's why we could slip through the barrier that separates the worlds. Anyone or thing that has the type of power to fix him would be back in the Makai."  
  
Yuusuke groaned. There couldn't be a worse answer then that. Because it meant that in order to fix Kurama, they had to start considering a trip back to the Makai, the demon world. Yuusuke had never been there himself, but he'd heard enough to know that it certainly wasn't a place he wanted to visit. And it certainly wasn't a place he wanted to spend an extended amount of time in to find whatever healing guru could fix Kurama's problem.   
  
"We can't take him back there."  
  
Botan shook her head and sighed. "You're right, we can't. Maybe as a youkai, definitely not as a human. He probably wouldn't survive the trip through the gateway, and neither would you."  
  
"So then what's our choice?"  
  
"Simple. We find who did it. Because we know they have to be here, in the ningenkai, with us."  
  
"Shit."  
  
Botan nodded. "Indeed." She turned and glanced at the wall, in the same direction as where Kurama was probably sitting in the living room. For a moment she seemed to consider something, and actually look thoughtful, then that moment disappeared and Botan jumped off the table smiling brightly. "Well, I should go entertain my guest. Yuusuke, don't touch the food in my kitchen."  
  
"Wouldn't want to, it's probably poisoned," he responded in a sullen voice, sliding out of the chair himself to stand. He was rewarded with a sour face from her and then she walked into the living room to speak with Kurama, Yuusuke followed slowly, his hands shoved in his pockets.  
  
Why was his life so damn complicated right now? He'd thought Kurama losing his memory was bad enough. But he hadn't even considered the possibility that whoever or whatever did this was here in the human world. How powerful did a demon have to be to seal powers and memories. The answer?  
  
Too damn powerful for Yuusuke to ever want to deal with.   
  
His life just kept getting worse and worse, and he really wasn't looking forward to how this would all turn out. More likely then not he'd get his ass kicked.   
  
"Why can't I just go back to dealing with annoying idiots like Kuwabara trying to kick my ass every day. But nooooooooooo, I had to go and get a demon boyfriend. Bloody hell." 


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Kurama sat on the bus ride home, watching out the window quietly. He could feel the tension between himself and Yuusuke sitting next to him, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what to say to break it. He knew Botan and Yuusuke had discussed something important in the kitchen by themselves and it had hit Yuusuke hard, because it didn't take a psychic to see the worry in Yuusuke's eyes.

But there was still that hurdle to get over. He liked a guy? 

It wasn't that he was closed minded about it, or that he disapproved of such relationships. But it was one thing to hear and see others being in that type of relationship. It was quite another to hear that you yourself were in one, in spite of the fact that you had no memories either way to support it or not. Kurama just couldn't wrap his mind around it. But at the same time he could see how much it was hurting Yuusuke.

How would he feel if the one he loved, the one he lived with suddenly forgot him and was suddenly in denial about their relationship? Kurama knew he'd feel really bad about it. And Yuusuke was probably blaming himself for the motorcycle accident at least a little.

Kurama glanced over at him and sighed softly as he watched Yuusuke shift in his seat and noticeably twist his hands together uncomfortably. He had to do something; he couldn't just sit there and make Yuusuke feel like this, not after everything that he'd already done.

Kurama took a slow breath, then did something that nether he nor Yuusuke expected. Kurama leaned over and laid his head gently on Yuusuke's shoulder, letting himself relax and his eyes close.

"Kurama?" He could feel Yuusuke jump a bit in surprise and turn to stare at him, but Kurama didn't move.

"Thank you Yuusuke, for everything." He said softly.

Silence leaned over them for a moment, then Kurama felt a hand reach over and clasp his and he found himself smiling softly as he heard the smile in Yuusuke's soft response.

"No. Thank you, love."

It was a strange sight to see a short boy, dressed completely in black, from head to toe. But even more strange, was the fact that he was moving quickly, actually managing to jump from tree top to tree top where no one else should have been able to find any footing. But then again, maybe it wouldn't have seemed so strange if those watching knew that this 'boy' was actually a well aged and powerful fire demon. 

Luckily, humans had a habit of not looking up.

Hiei moved across the trees and jumped down, landing on the curving road which led up to Yuusuke and Kurama's favorite spot. Not caring about the road or the cars that could be driving on it, he wandered with his hands in his pockets inspecting the area with narrowed and suspicious eyes.

Demons didn't just lose their memories, not from a bump on the head. He didn't care what those human doctors said, there was no way they could know the intricacies of the human, much less the demon, body. And the fact that Kurama had been glowing the night before like he was about to transform only added to his suspicions. There was something else going on here, and while Yuusuke was asking Botan, he decided he'd go check out the area where they crashed.

Hiei glanced around him and listened for a moment, making sure there were no cars in the area. Then he reached up and untied the bandanna around his forehead, revealing a closed third eye that bulged out just a bit. Closing his two normal eyes, the third eye slid open to reveal a shimmering purple iris that pivoted and looked over the area. And as it moved, Hiei watched the images swim by.

He saw cars crossing around him, trucks blaring their horns to warn others around the corner who might not be able to see them. There was a young couple sneaking out in the middle of the night to enjoy some giggling and moaning fun in the bushes, and a family that pulled off to the side because the kids were begging their mother to see how far down the drop-off went past the railing.

The images moved in a weird time-stopped motion, yet faster then they should have. To anyone else it would have looked like a broken VCR that simultaneously eating the tape and fast-forwarding it at the same time. Yet the fire demon took it all in stride, waiting for the images he was looking for, and finally he found them.

Once again the road was deserted, and he commanded the images to slow down as he saw Yuusuke on his motorcycle with Kurama riding just behind him, leaning against him and holding on. The bike drove past Hiei and a couple of feet up the road was the place that Yuusuke had said it had happened. Those were the images Hiei was looking for.

But the bike never made it to that spot. And Hiei's images never followed it there.

Instead, just as the bike was nearing that area, there was a bright flash of light. For a single second power flowed over the road and Hiei was actually thrown backward against the stone wall, his hands coming up to cover the jagan on his forehead in a reflexive attempt to shield it. Power washed over him and the road painfully like a sheering hot wave, and then it was gone.

Hiei sat there for a moment, all three of his eyes closed. Then he slowly blinked over his two regular eyes and winced. The world around him was bright, like he hadn't used his real eyes for the last few years. Groaning a bit he turned and shielded his eyes, waiting for them to adjust, then slowly pulled himself to his feet. 

Nothing in the area around him had changed. The road was still the same and, in fact, not even a car had passed during the visions or the reaction. But he could feel something clinging to the area. It was something small, but still very powerful. For a moment he considered walking over to the exact spot where it had happened, but he abandoned that thought.

If looking at that area with his jagan had thrown him off his feet, walking over there could potentially wound him, at least. Instead he pulled out his headband and fastened it back over his jagan and shoved his hands in his pockets, starting on the walk home.

He hadn't learned much, but he'd learned something very important. Who ever was doing this was powerful. And they didn't want anyone to interfere.

Back at the apartment Yuusuke was surprised to find Kurama sitting on the bed in the back. His backpack was open and books were scattered across the bed as he ruffled through the papers and flipped through a few bookmarked pages. Kurama has this cute little determined look on his face as he opened up his assignment notebook and he was apparently trying to translate his short hand abbreviations to figure out what books they were from. Yuusuke couldn't help but smile as he leaned against the wall and watched.

"Umm, what are you doing?"

"Tomorrow's Monday," Kurama responded, as if that were explanation enough. 

"Yeah, it is. Wait, you're not honestly thinking of going to class, are you?"

Kurama looked up, holding a thick calculus book in his hands. "Why not? It's not like I'm incapable of sitting through class, I can still read, write and learn."

"Yeah but, isn't it going to be hard trying to remember where you were and what the teacher was teaching you? And there's all the students, and dealing with all those people expecting you to remember stuff. You're uncomfortable with me, how are you going to fell there?"

Kurama sighed softly, giving him a small smile. "Yuusuke, it's not that I'm uncomfortable with you…" He stopped and looked down at the books frowning a bit. "I thought maybe if I sat through class just like I did before it might jump start me into remembering. I've got to try at least. I really don't want to sit around here all day trying really hard to remember and coming up with nothing."

"You wouldn't be alone. I could stay here with you."

Kurama shook his head. "No, I don't want to make you miss class."

Yuusuke snorted a bit. "Not like I haven't missed it before. Besides, you're more important."

"You…" He stopped and actually smiled a bit. "Thanks Yuusuke, but I'd still like to go. Just tomorrow, then if it's too much, I'll stop until I get better."

Yuusuke just shook his head. "You never could stay away from school. It's like you live off it, I should have known."

Looking down at the book in his hand Kurama thought about that. He had been watching his school bag for the majority of the time when he'd been in the apartment. The only reason he hadn't gone over to open it up and look through it was an irrational fear of what was inside. It wasn't that he didn't like books and he didn't like school, that much he knew he liked, but more accepting what was inside. The contents of one's backpack in school told many things about them. And he'd been waiting for something big to be inside, something big he might not be able to accept yet.

Like a picture of him and Yuusuke.

He couldn't help but sigh just a little, but he managed to hide it as he looked down and started putting the books back in his bag. Wasn't a loved one supposed to be your support during things like this? Weren't they supposed to be his one link to sanity and hope when there was nothing else he could remember? Isn't that how the stories went?

If that was the case why was he so uncomfortable around Yuusuke? He hated it. He hated how he felt, and he hated how he was probably making Yuusuke feel. It had to be painful to see him so indecisive and unsure like this.

"Hey, Kurama?"

Kurama blinked and looked back up, not even realizing that he'd been caught in his own thoughts while Yuusuke was standing there. He watched Yuusuke lean down next to him and give a comforting smile.

"Don't push yourself too hard, ok? Take your time."

"Taking my time is the last thing I need. I hate not being able to recognize things. I feel lost."

"So when you're lost you have two options. You wait for someone to show you the way, or you wander until you find something that looks familiar."

Kurama blinked. And that was the end of it, the perfect explanation. He smiled a bit at Yuusuke and nodded. Now the question was how long it would take to see something that he recognized.

The next day at school found Yuusuke sitting in his desk, resisting the urge to throw his pencil at the head in front of him. The one sitting in front of him was Kuwabara and served as a way to usually pass the days when he'd been pushed into his seat with amusing distractions and promises of getting his ass kicked that were never fulfilled. Whenever Yuusuke was feeling down or depressed about something, all he usually had to do was throw a pencil – or an eraser if he had one handy – at the back of Kuwabara's head and the day would suddenly get that much more interesting as he watched the other guy try to sound threatening while not letting the teacher notice.

Yuusuke was holding the pencil, ready to launch it like a mini little spear into his hair, but he found himself not quite able to do it. It wasn't that he was scared, its just that he knew it wouldn't give him enough distraction as to Kurama's current situation.

Yuusuke sighed and dropped the pencil on his desk, turning his attention restlessly to the clock. It was only ten minutes in and class was dragging at a painfully slow rate, threatening to move slower each time he looked at the clock. It took all his self control not to stand up and grab the clock, shaking it back and forth, but he knew that wouldn't help. He doubted that would even make him feel better.

He hated being trapped in class when he couldn't do anything.

To tell the truth it wasn't just Kurama he was worried about. He was also worried about the little twerp of a demon who liked to go by the name of Hiei. As annoying as the little guy might be at times, he almost always stopped to sleep outside of his and Kurama's window every night, and last night he hadn't. 

Nothing held Hiei to that spot, it was just a habit he'd seemed to drop into, something that Kurama had once told him happens a lot when demons find each other in the human world, they apparently tended to stay in tight little knit groups with at least one other demon they trusted. But Hiei hadn't returned the night before, and now Yuusuke was worried about him too.

"As if I need something else to worry about," he muttered angrily, flicking the pencil off his desk. He watched the little stick of wood spin out into the air and bump against the back of Kuwabara's chair, falling unnoticed to the floor. Damn, he was even so depressed he couldn't make a decent shot. 

Yuusuke sighed loudly and leaned down to retrieve his pencil. 

"You dropped this."

Yuusuke blinked and looked up, finding his pencil in another person's hand. He blinked again and his sight focused on the girl in front of him.

He recognized her from the back of the class. She was one of those quiet students who sat in the back and seemed to bury themselves in their work, but not because they loved it like Kurama always did, simply because they were using it to hide. In spite of that 'nerd-like' prospect, she was quite pretty looking with long black hair that hid her face and a mouth that tilted in a permanent shy little smile. Her eyes were a dark black with what looked like a hint of red, and made her very noticeable once you noticed. Yuusuke returned a smile and took his pencil from her out stretched hand.

"Umm, thanks."

She smiled at him and slid into the seat next to him. "The teacher just spoke about group projects, if you missed it. She assigned me to sit with you." Had Yuusuke heard this phrase from anyone else he might have taken offense to the way they phrased it. But this girl's voice was soft and sweet enough sounded that it didn't seem like anything she said could ever be offensive.

"Oh, great. Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention." Yuusuke moved his books aside a bit so she could sit next to him and start working on whatever project they had to do. She easily pulled out her books and started working on the problems, not really worried about him directing his attention elsewhere. After all, she did just give him a perfectly logical explination about her knowing how to do it and she could just finish it quicker…

Yuusuke tried to direct his thoughts back to what he'd been worried about before… but it wasn't coming to mind. In truth, nothing really seemed worth worrying about at the moment. He wanted to relax, that's what he always did in class, he didn't want to stress about anything at the moment so that's exactly what he did. He sat in his seat and relaxed.

And watched her.

Had she said her name? Had she really said anything to him? He couldn't remember, and the back of his mind really didn't care too much. Who needed to know a name? He was more concerned with relaxing and the fact that he was starting to get hungry.

"Do you have any plans for lunch?"

How had she known what he was thinking? "No, not really. Kurama said he'd be speaking with his teachers, so I'm on my own." 

"Good. I have a large lunch and I almost never eat it. We can share if you want."

Yuusuke blinked, the words and phase not really seeming to register in his mind. Numbly he nodded, his brain feeling foggy and light. When had the room temperature raised? 

"Right," Yuusuke blinked, glancing away from her to rub his eyes. For some reason the room around him looked fuzzy, at least everything but her did. That was the tip off that something wasn't right to him and he quickly looked away trying to regain his mental footing. A second later the feelings subsided and Yuusuke looked up…

To find her walking out the door.

He glanced around the classroom and realized class was over. It had passed in a second and now he was left alone in the classroom, his mind reeling as if he'd been kicked forward in time. Reverse déjà vu? Was there such a thing? Yuusuke took a deep breath and gathered up his measly pile of school supplies and headed out the door. 

In spite of his earlier promise he skipped out on lunch. In fact, he skipped completely out on school and walked right off campus to try and get some fresh air and wander a bit in his own thoughts before picking Kurama up from class.

The library was simple enough, not very large by most school standards, with books stuffed and piled on shelves in something that was supposed to have been an order but failed miserably. Only the librarian could ever find anything in this mess, and it was what made sure the budget cuts didn't take her job as it had her assistants.

The mess also served another purpose of making sure that the students stayed away from library as much as anyone else. No one wanted to get lost in the endless piles of books, only to face the wrath of the protective librarian, and no one else wanted to actually be caught studying period.

Well, except for Kurama.

At the moment he was sitting in a back corner of the library, at a desk he'd managed to find under a pile of biology books. His own books were now spread out, the previous occupants piled neatly at his feet, as he poured over the assignments the teachers had given him.

Surprisingly he didn't have much trouble remembering where he'd been in these books. And now that he thought about it he hadn't had trouble doing the simple things like eating and talking or even walking for that matter. What he had forgotten seemed to be selective personal parts of his life, which mostly seemed to revolve around Yuusuke and the other people who he'd been told were his friends. But school work with equations and such were relatively simple and Kurama actually took comfort in the page long calculus problems he was currently looking over and solving.

The way the numbers always fit together to create an answer, which he could double check in the back of the book, brought him loads of comfort. More comfort then he'd felt since he'd woken up, actually. He found himself wishing that life were this easy, that things in life would fall this simply into place. Yuusuke and himself should equal a healthy relationship, or so he'd been told. The studio apartment they shared should equal home, or so he'd been told. And Botan and Hiei, and probably countless others should equal his friends, but he just couldn't figure it out. 

As horribly geeky as he felt making the connection, he felt like a lonely x in the equation. Everyone could tell him he was supposed to equal a number. But the truth was he was a letter and he didn't really seem to fit in the equation at all, he was just a substitute for what really should be there.

Kurama closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Suddenly mathematical equations weren't comforting so much, anymore. All he wanted was to find the switch, the switch he could flip that would turn everything back. Or even just a hint that such a thing existed.

"I can't do this," he whispered softly.

And he couldn't. He couldn't put himself or the others through this. It was too hard to try and remember, too hard to force himself to be something that his blank mind told him he wasn't. It wasn't Yuusuke and his relationship at all, that was just the easiest and most visible thing he could blame it on. It was shallow, it was mean… but he couldn't find anywhere else to pin his blame. Still, it only made Kurama feel worse.

As he sat there, cornered from his own thoughts, a warmth flowed over him. The air became warm, almost solid, almost like arms sliding around him. In fact, that's exactly what it felt like. The arms of someone… warm… caring

Home.

Kurama jumped and stood up so fast he sent the chair cracking to the ground, knocking over the pile of books. His eyes flew around the piled shelves, but whatever was there was gone.

"Stupid!" Kurama didn't care about his voice and he didn't care if the librarian heard him. He's just done the stupidest thing in the world. The first thing he'd felt that seemed familiar and comforting in days and he'd kicked it away. Kurama cursed again, very unlike himself and sat back down in the chair.

When he reflected on it later, his next action seemed quite silly, but when one was moving around what was supposed to be their life without any direction, they would take what they could get. Kurama closed his eyes and called back to whatever he'd felt, mentally pleading for it to come back, assuring whatever it was that this time he wouldn't be startled and wouldn't push it away.

For a long moment silence just surrounded him, with nothing else. He could hear books being stacked on the other side of the library, and a couple somewhere giggling as they shared forbidden kisses. Then, like a blanket, the warmth seemed to surround him again and Kurama could almost feel two arms slide over his shoulders to hold him in a protective embrace.

A soft breath brushed against his ear and he could feel a weight behind him that wasn't the chair. A person. He could feel a person.

"Who are you?" Kurama whispered softly, not willing to open his eyes yet. He didn't want to scare this thing away again. The arms felt warm and familiar, comforting in their build. It was a touch he recognized, finally something he recognized.

"Wait for me Kurama, you'll know when."

"Wait, don't…" Kurama opened his eyes and turned in his seat, the quick movement and sight stealing away his breath as he stared behind him. Standing right behind his chair was a tall and… beautiful man. Beautiful wasn't a word that would fit any one else, except him.

He was built tall and large, but in a healthy fashion that showed his body to be at the peek of perfection and health beneath his lean and fitted clothing. Long black hair flowed down around his head, disappearing behind his back in such a way that it almost beckoned one to reach back and caress the strands to find exactly how long it really was. Royal violet robes surrounded his body with white designs and markings turning the outfit quite intricate and yet more of a royal simplicity. His clothing seemed a contradiction to his stance and Kurama could only stare at him, his eyes traveling to the face.

He should have been surprised. He should have taken a step back or even left the room. He shouldn't have been drawn closer to this thing, especially when his eyes traveled over the two large horns which framed either side of his angular face. Three ears were visible on either side of his head, adding more strange features, and his eyes seemed permanently closed, a very small scar visible across the lids, faded from old age in spite of his young face.

He should have been surprised or scared. But he wasn't. Instead Kurama felt the face was familiar and he actually reached his hand up, touching the man's cheek very lightly with his fingers.

"I know you," he murmured softly.

The man standing in front of him lifted his hand and caught Kurama's gently, holding it against his cheek. "Wait for me. I'll come to you soon."

Kurama slowly nodded, not able to do anything else but agree with that voice. He didn't want to do anything else. Something in his mind just told him that all of this was right, all of it. It never even occurred to him to doubt that.

The man reached forward and pressed his hand over Kurama's eyes, and Kurama responded by closing his eyes and letting out a slow breath. The warmth around him faded away and when he opened his eyes again he was standing in the library alone… cold.

That's when the panic took hold. Kurama shivered and all thoughts that might have made him comfortable about the thing – men didn't have horns and multiple ears like that! – that had appeared in front of him, withered away to leave a cold and hard fear in his mind, that stained his throat. Kurama grabbed his bag and books and bolted for the door, not stopping until he was far away from the library. He just kept running down the halls, not even noticing the students around him. Anything to get away, anything to outrun… whatever that had been. 


End file.
